Chapter 238: Don't Say It, I Can Picture It

"A courtesan pageant?" Zu An's eyes lit up. In his previous life, watching period dramas, famous courtesans from brothels—especially those who performed their arts without selling their bodies—were indispensable characters. He naturally found such things enjoyable.

He never expected to experience something like it firsthand in this different world. Just as he was about to readily agree, he suddenly thought of something, shook his head, and said, "Take a good look at my pure, upright, and noble face. Do I look like the kind of person who would go to a brothel?"

Chu Yucheng was speechless. He had originally been smiling, his eyes almost narrowed to slits, but they instantly widened in disbelief.

Damn it! You look exactly like that kind of person to me.

Even the usually aloof Chu Hongcai turned his head in astonishment. The shamelessness of the man before him truly exceeded his imagination.

Zu An secretly sneered. He had been in the Chu residence for a while now, not too long, not too short, and there had been little interaction between them recently. For them to suddenly invite him to a courtesan pageant, it was hard not to suspect they were setting a trap for him. What if he agreed to go with them, and then they brought Qin Wanru or Chu Chuyan to catch him in the act? He would never be able to clear his name.

Chu Yucheng's small, round eyes rolled, and he roughly guessed Zu An's thoughts. He laughed heartily, "Ah Zu, you're overthinking it. Going to a brothel is a very elegant pastime in our Great Zhou Dynasty. As long as you don't bring anyone back, even if Cousin knows, it's nothing to worry about."

Chu Hongcai also spoke, saying coolly, "Exactly!"

Zu An glanced at him. This guy was truly a man of few words, though he looked much more handsome than his father with the dark circles under his eyes.

Chu Yucheng chuckled, "My brother and I were already about to head out when we suddenly thought, how could we leave you out of such a good thing, Ah Zu? You've been at the residence for a while, and we're still not very familiar with each other, so we decided to use this opportunity to welcome you. Don't worry, all expenses tonight are on us. Just enjoy yourself."

Zu An looked suspicious. Were these two really so kind? But their tone seemed sincere, not like they were faking it. Could it be that after seeing me perform exceptionally well in the clan competition and saving Chu Chuyan in the secret realm, they concluded that my position as son-in-law was likely secure, and so they were deliberately trying to curry favor with me and mend relations?

Noticing that Zu An was tempted, Chu Yucheng stretched out his chubby hand to pull him. "Let's go quickly, or it'll be packed later, and we won't even be able to squeeze in."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Zu An asked, still skeptical.

"You don't know," the previously aloof Chu Hongcai suddenly said, his eyes gleaming. "Since Qiu Honglei came to Mingyue City two years ago, she has been the undisputed top courtesan. Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, but she's also skilled in poetry, music, and dance, mastering every art. Her musical performances and dancing are truly astonishing. In my opinion, if it weren't for her social status, even Cousin's title as the most beautiful woman in Mingyue City wouldn't be secure."

"Cough, cough!" Chu Yucheng quickly pulled on his sleeve. "You've misspoken. How can a brothel woman like Qiu Honglei be compared to Cousin?"

Chu Hongcai huffed resentfully but didn't retort, clearly acknowledging the point.

"Qiu Honglei?" Hearing the familiar name, Zu An suddenly remembered that Ji Dengtu had once promised to help him with healing if he brought back intimate garments from a few women, and Qiu Honglei was one of them. Though he no longer needed Ji Dengtu's treatment, he felt a flicker of curiosity about a woman even Ji Dengtu was so smitten with. After all, whether it was Yu Yanluo, Shang Liuyu, or even Qin Wanru, they were all exceptionally beautiful women.

He suddenly realized a question: "How old is this Qiu Honglei?" Yu Yanluo and Qin Wanru were both from Ji Dengtu's generation. This courtesan wouldn't be as well, would she? The thought of an aunt-aged courtesan... Zu An's expression immediately turned very odd. However, as the exquisite faces of Yu Yanluo and others flashed through his mind, he suddenly felt that if someone was that beautiful, a slightly older age didn't matter. Moreover, this was a world of cultivation, where living for hundreds or even thousands of years was common. Once one reached a certain cultivation level, they could maintain their youthful appearance, so age wasn't as significant a factor as it was in his previous world.

"No one knows her exact age, but judging from the rumors spread by various fan groups, she should be around Cousin's age," Chu Hongcai said, rattling off the information as if it were a precious family heirloom. If Chu Yucheng hadn't interrupted him, he might have even gone on to describe all the different fan groups for Qiu Honglei in Mingyue City.

Zu An was utterly amazed. This guy's previously aloof image had completely collapsed; he was clearly a star-struck fanboy. Pfft, what 'star-struck'? He just lusted after her beauty and body!

"Let's head out first, we can talk about this on the way, otherwise, it'll be too late and there won't be any seats left," Chu Yucheng said, pulling one person with each hand as he hurried out.

"Wait!" Zu An hesitated. "Chuyan is sick, and we're still going out to whore... *cough, cough*, I mean, to gather inspiration. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Chu Yucheng paused. "Isn't Cousin just a little unwell? What's there to worry about?"

"Exactly," Chu Hongcai chimed in. "Cousin will be fine after a few days of rest, but this courtesan pageant with Qiu Honglei is a one-time opportunity. Rumor has it that Madam Qiu might even choose a favored guest tonight!" As he spoke, his eyes gleamed, clearly already fantasizing about being the chosen lucky one.

Zu An, on the other hand, reacted instantly and said with a slight smile, "You're right. Chuyan's injury will heal in a couple of days anyway. It's more important to go see the courtesan pageant together." He muttered to himself, "My dear Chuyan, it's not that I want to go flirting around. I'm doing this to hide your illness. As your husband, I have no choice but to pretend to be carefree and go out with them. Alas, I must sacrifice myself to please those vixen-like women."

"Ah Zu, what are you thinking about? You're smiling so happily," Chu Yucheng said, patting his shoulder with a chubby hand.

"N-nothing," Zu An stammered, startled. He glanced around guiltily, and seeing no one else looking, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.

After leaving the Chu residence, servants had already prepared several tall, fine horses. As they were all men, they naturally wouldn't take a carriage. Zu An looked around and suddenly realized he had forgotten about Cheng Shoubing. Just as he was about to call for him, the other two's expressions changed instantly, and they quickly stopped him, saying, "Ah Zu, don't be so rash!"

"Exactly, we brothers are just going for some fun and to bond. Why would we bring a servant?"

Seeing their strong reaction, Zu An initially thought they had set some kind of trap that required him to be alone. But then he considered that even if there was a trap, bringing Cheng Shoubing along wouldn't change anything; he would just be an extra liability, so there was no need for them to be wary of him. Noticing their lingering fear, he suddenly had a thought and understood. It seemed that having been in the Chu family for so long, they were well aware of Cheng Shoubing's big mouth. If they took him to a brothel, the entire Chu family would undoubtedly know about it within half a day. Although visiting courtesans wasn't scandalous in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it wasn't particularly glorious either. If the patriarch and madam found out, it would still be an embarrassment. Understanding this, Zu An abandoned the idea of bringing Cheng Shoubing. The three of them rode their horses towards the Immortals' Residence.

"By the way, I'm a bit curious," Zu An couldn't help but ask on the way. "I heard this Qiu Honglei only performs her arts and doesn't sell her body; she's a 'clean' courtesan?"

"Yes, everyone in Mingyue City knows that," Chu Hongcai said, sounding extremely proud as he spoke of this. "Not just Mingyue City, Miss Qiu's beauty is widely renowned; even people from neighboring prefectures come specifically to see her. It's precisely because she remains unsullied by her surroundings that so many men are crazy about her."

"So many gentle and beautiful girls in brothels are unappreciated, yet everyone flocks to this woman they can't have. Don't you think that's just... perverse?" Zu An couldn't help but exclaim.

Chu Hongcai: "..."Chu Yucheng: "..."

After a long pause, Chu Yucheng finally laughed heartily. "Ah Zu, what you said, while a bit direct, is indeed spot-on. Such is human nature."

"Can anyone prove that Qiu Honglei is still a virgin? Do people just believe whatever she says?" Zu An shook his head. "I still can't imagine how someone of such heavenly beauty, as you describe her, could maintain her purity after so many years in a brothel."

Chu Yucheng listened, dumbfounded, and mumbled, "That... that has never been proven, actually." He was completely bewildered. How could such a thing be proven? If it were, wouldn't it imply it would no longer be true?

Chu Hongcai, at his side, was very displeased. "Brother Zu, Miss Qiu is not like that. Please don't make wild guesses about her and tarnish her reputation."

"Reputation for purity?" Zu An almost burst out laughing. A famous courtesan from a brothel, talking about purity here? He scoffed inwardly and said with a smile, "This isn't wild speculation; it's perfectly logical deduction. Think about it: since she's so beautiful and a brothel courtesan, she's bound to attract the covetous attention of powerful figures from all sides. This is a world of cultivation where the strong reign supreme. What right would a brothel have to resist? Or if some high-ranking official or noble took an interest in her, would they really give up just because she says 'I sell my art, not my body'?"

Chu Hongcai was initially displeased and about to retort, but as he heard Zu An's series of arguments, his expression gradually changed, realizing these were indeed reasonable conjectures. The thought that his pure and flawless goddess might have been casually summoned and defiled by countless powerful figures over the years instantly made him feel terrible.

Noticing his despondent look, Chu Yucheng thought to himself how sharp Zu An's tongue was and quickly interjected, "Mingyue City is the Chu family's fiefdom. Our eldest uncle has always been fair and incorruptible, so he would naturally never do such a thing. The City Lord is also known for being open-minded and refined, and surely wouldn't stoop to such uncivilized behavior. With these two prominent figures setting an example, how would anyone else in the city dare to act improperly?"

Zu An frowned. "That may be true, but I still feel it relies too much on luck. What if someone gets completely infatuated by her beauty and acts recklessly..."

Chu Hongcai quickly stopped him from speaking further, covering his ears and shaking his head violently. "Don't say it, don't say it! I can already picture it!"

Chu Yucheng laughed heartily. "We're here to have fun today, so let's not spoil the mood with such talk. You'll understand when you see Qiu Honglei later, Ah Zu."